July 1, 2008
ODT deletes account of Palestinian brutality
When Israel announced it would release terrorist Samir Kantar in exchange for two dead bodies, the Otago Daily Times published an AP report, but deleted a description of the brutality of Kantar's crime from the middle of the article. This led KBRM to protest to the editor as follows:
...I think you should look into the editing of a July 1 news item ‘Israel to release gunman in exchange for soldiers' bodies’ (p. 6). The following passage, referring to the Lebanese ‘gunman’ being released, was deleted from the middle of the report:
Witnesses said Kantar smashed the little girl's head against a rock and crushed her skull with a rifle butt. The attack has been etched in the Israeli psyche as one of the cruellest in the nation's history. Kantar denied killing the girl or smashing her skull.
Her mother, while trying to silence the cries of her other daughter as Kantar and three others rampaged through the apartment, accidentally smothered the two-year-old.
Yesterday the mother, Smadar Haran Kaiser, said she was devastated by the decision but understood it. ‘The despicable murderer Kantar was never my own personal prisoner, but the state's prisoner,’ she told a news conference. ‘Even if my soul should be torn, and it is torn, my heart is whole.’
In addition, six paragraphs were deleted from the end of the story... Maybe you could at least inquire as to why that material was removed.
Sincerely,Rodney Brooks,
Chairman Kiwis for Balanced Reporting on the Mideast
July 3, 2008
The following reply was received:
Dear Mr Brooks
Thanks for the email. I will look into it, but assume it will have been edited purely for reasons of length.
Yours faithfully,
Murray Kirkness
Editor, Otago Daily Times
Nothing further was heard. KBRM notes that while the ODT apparently found it necessary to delete a description of the brutal murder of an Israeli family for reasons of length, it was able to devote 230 sq cm to condemnations of Israel for building houses (see June 17 post).